Notts: Police budget to be slashed again in 2015

Notts Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping has said local communities will feel the ‘consequences’ of another reduction in next year’s policing funds.

He was speaking after it was announced that the 2015 grant for Notts Police will be slashed by a further five per cent - a loss of around £10m.

A total of £718m will be top-sliced from the overall policing budget in England and Wales to fund national organisations such as the Counter Terrorism Unit.

“This is another tough settlement,” said Mr Tipping.

“The consequences of which will be felt locally as we attempt to reduce our budget even further.”

“In Nottinghamshire, we are trying to address the challenging financial situation through greater collaboration with other forces and locally with public sector partners but they too are facing the same pressures.

“The impact of any funding cut inevitably affects our local communities and as a consequence we have had to redesign how we deliver local policing and how we respond to calls where urgent help is not required in order to match our scarce resources to greatest need.”

The commissioner said that the force is working with partners in the health sector and local authorities to ensure situations which warrant specialist intervention such are dealt with by the most appropriate agency.

Mr Tipping added: “We have examined all areas of our operation and there is little left to remove from our budget. We will continue to seek out new ways of working to release the savings required.”